Linga Purana

यतमानो यतिः साधुः स्मृतो योगस्य साधनात् एवमाश्रमधर्माणां साधनात्साधवः स्मृताः

The ascetic striving for restraint is remembered as virtuous through accomplishment in yoga; thus, through accomplishment in the duties of the stages of life, the virtuous are remembered.

गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारी च वानप्रस्थो यतिस् तथा धर्माधर्माविह प्रोक्तौ शब्दावेतौ क्रियात्मकौ

The householder, the student, the forest-dweller, and the ascetic—thus, both dharma and adharma are spoken of here; these two terms are based in action.

कुशलाकुशलं कर्म धर्माधर्माविति स्मृतौ धारणार्थे महान् ह्य् एष धर्मशब्दः प्रकीर्तितः

Skillful and unskillful action are remembered as dharma and adharma; for the purpose of sustaining, the great word 'dharma' is proclaimed.

अधारणे महत्त्वे च अधर्म इति चोच्यते अत्रेष्टप्रापको धर्म आचार्यैरुपदिश्यते

When there is lack of sustaining and greatness, it is called adharma; here, dharma is taught by teachers as the means to attain what is desired.

अधर्मश्चानिष्टफलो ह्य् आचार्यैरुपदिश्यते वृद्धाश्चालोलुपाश्चैव आत्मवन्तो ह्यदाम्भिकाः

Adharma, which yields undesirable results, is also taught by teachers; the elders are neither greedy nor fickle, possessing self-control and free from deceit.

सम्यग्विनीता ऋजवस् तानाचार्यान् प्रचक्षते स्वयमाचरते यस्माद् आचारे स्थापयत्यपि

Those teachers are called upright, well-disciplined, and honest; because they themselves practice, they establish others in conduct.

आचिनोति च शास्त्रार्थान् आचार्यस्तेन चोच्यते विज्ञेयं श्रवणाच्छ्रौतं स्मरणात्स्मार्तमुच्यते

And because he gathers the meanings of the scriptures, he is called a teacher; it should be known that what is heard is called 'śrauta', and what is remembered is called 'smārta'.

इज्या वेदात्मकं श्रौतं स्मार्तं वर्णाश्रमात्मकम् दृष्ट्वानुरूपमर्थं यः पृष्टो नैवापि गूहति

Sacrifice based on the Vedas is called śrauta; smārta is based on caste and stage of life; one who, seeing the appropriate meaning, when asked, does not conceal it—

यथादृष्टप्रवादस्तु सत्यं लैङ्गे ऽत्र पठ्यते ब्रह्मचर्यं तथा मौनं निराहारत्वमेव च

As is spoken according to what is seen, so truth is recited here in the Lingam; likewise, celibacy, silence, and fasting.

अहिंसा सर्वतः शान्तिस् तप इत्यभिधीयते आत्मवत् सर्वभूतेषु यो हितायाहिताय च

Nonviolence, complete tranquility, and austerity are declared; one who acts for the benefit or harm of all beings as for oneself—

वर्तते त्वसकृद्वृत्तिः कृत्स्ना ह्येषा दया स्मृता यद्यदिष्टतमं द्रव्यं न्यायेनैवागतं क्रमात्

Who acts repeatedly in this manner, this entire conduct is remembered as compassion; whatever desirable object is obtained in due order by justice—

तत्तद्गुणवते देयं दातुस्तद्दानलक्षणम् दानं त्रिविधमित्येतत् कनिष्ठज्येष्ठमध्यमम्

Gifts should be given according to the recipient's qualities; the donor's nature is also to be considered. Thus, giving is said to be of three kinds: inferior, superior, and middling.

कारुण्यात्सर्वभूतेभ्यः संविभागस्तु मध्यमः श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यां विहितो धर्मो वर्णाश्रमात्मकः

Out of compassion, sharing with all beings is the middle kind; the duty prescribed by scripture and tradition is the dharma characterized by social class and stage of life.

शिष्टाचाराविरुद्धश् च स धर्मः साधुरुच्यते मायाकर्मफलत्यागी शिवात्मा परिकीर्तितः

That dharma which is not opposed to the conduct of the virtuous is called good; one who renounces the fruits of action, free from illusion, is said to possess the nature of Shiva.

निवृत्तः सर्वसङ्गेभ्यो युक्तो योगी प्रकीर्तितः असक्तो भयतो यस्तु विषयेषु विचार्य च

One who is detached from all attachments and engaged in discipline is called a yogi; but one who, out of fear, remains unattached to sense objects, after due reflection—

अलुब्धः संयमी प्रोक्तः प्रार्थितो ऽपि समन्ततः आत्मार्थं वा परार्थं वा इन्द्रियाणीह यस्य वै

He who is not greedy, who is self-controlled, even when requested from all sides, whether for his own sake or for others, whose senses—

न मिथ्या सम्प्रवर्तन्ते शमस्यैव तु लक्षणम् अनुद्विग्नो ह्यनिष्टेषु तथेष्टान्नाभिनन्दति

—do not act falsely, this is indeed the mark of tranquility; he is not disturbed by unpleasant things, nor does he rejoice in what is desired.

प्रीतितापविषादेभ्यो विनिवृत्तिर्विरक्तता संन्यासः कर्मणां न्यासः कृतानामकृतैः सह

Withdrawal from delight, pain, and sorrow is called dispassion; renunciation is the abandonment of actions, both performed and unperformed.

कुशलाकुशलानां तु प्रहाणं न्यास उच्यते अव्यक्ताद्यविशेषान्ते विकारे ऽस्मिन्नचेतने

The giving up of both good and bad actions is called renunciation; in this insentient transformation, from the unmanifest to the undifferentiated end—

चेतनाचेतनान्यत्वविज्ञानं ज्ञानमुच्यते एवं तु ज्ञानयुक्तस्य श्रद्धायुक्तस्य शङ्करः

Knowledge is said to be the discernment of the difference between the sentient and the insentient; thus, for one endowed with knowledge and faith, O Shankara—

प्रसीदति न संदेहो धर्मश्चायं द्विजोत्तमाः किं तु गुह्यतमं वक्ष्ये सर्वत्र परमेश्वरे

—there is no doubt that he attains peace; this is the dharma, O best of twice-born. But now I will declare the most secret teaching, concerning the Supreme Lord everywhere.

भवे भक्तिर्न संदेहस् तया युक्तो विमुच्यते अयोग्यस्यापि भगवान् भक्तस्य परमेश्वरः

There is no doubt that devotion arises in existence; endowed with that, one is liberated. Even for the unfit, the Blessed Lord, the Supreme Lord, is pleased with the devotee.

प्रसीदति न संदेहो निगृह्य विविधं तमः ज्ञानमध्यापनं होमो ध्यानं यज्ञस्तपः श्रुतम्

There is no doubt that He is pleased, restraining all kinds of darkness: teaching knowledge, offering oblations, meditation, sacrifice, austerity, and study—

दानमध्ययनं सर्वं भवभक्त्यै न संशयः चान्द्रायणसहस्रैश् च प्राजापत्यशतैस् तथा

—giving, and all study, are for the sake of devotion to existence, without doubt; even with thousands of Cāndrāyaṇa rites and hundreds of Prājāpatya rites—

मासोपवासैश्चान्यैर्वा भक्तिर्मुनिवरोत्तमाः अभक्ता भगवत्यस्मिंल् लोके गिरिगुहाशये

—and with other monthly fasts, O best of sages, devotion is supreme. Those without devotion to the Blessed Lord, who dwells in the mountain cave in this world—

पतन्ति चात्मभोगार्थं भक्तो भावेन मुच्यते भक्तानां दर्शनादेव नृणां स्वर्गादयो द्विजाः

—fall for the sake of their own enjoyment; but the devotee is liberated by devotion. By merely seeing devotees, O twice-born, people attain heaven and more.

न दुर्लभा न सन्देहो भक्तानां किं पुनस् तथा ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेन्द्राणां तथान्येषामपि स्थितिः

There is no doubt that such things are not difficult for devotees; how much more so for Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, and others, and for the rest as well.

भक्त्या एव मुनीनां च बलसौभाग्यमेव च भवेन च तथा प्रोक्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्योमां पिनाकिना

By devotion alone, sages attain strength and good fortune; so it is said, having observed Uma by Pinākin.

देव्यै देवेन मधुरं वाराणस्यां पुरा द्विजाः अविमुक्ते समासीना रुद्रेण परमात्मना

Long ago, O twice-born, in Varanasi, the god spoke sweetly to the goddess, as Rudra, the Supreme Self, sat in Avimukta.